domingo, 6 de septiembre de 2009

Luxury of living rat-free

Last month a rat was found in Calgary. The poor little creature created huge outcry. Ill fated varmint probably came into its graveyard by hitching a ride on a recreational vehicle from Saskatchewan. ?A rat? What a big deal?? you might say. Yes, rats are everywhere and for many people, it is a luxury to live rat-free. But it is a big deal for the province after being rat-free for the last 50 years. Hey, how can a little thing challenge such a big status issue. Albertans pride themselves on being the only place on earth that is livable and is rat free. The only two other places that are rat-free are Arctic and Antarctica. Rat control costs the provincial government about $500,000 a year but the effort is said to save tens of millions of dollars in potential crop damage, disease, food contamination and damaged buildings. (news source) If you love rats and keep rats as pet ? Alberta is not a place for you to live. Pet shop owners, herpetologists and other persons interested in keeping rats as pets are not allowed to do so in Alberta. Only hospitals, universities and other related institutes of education, authorized by the government are allowed to possess live rattus species of any kind. (source) Pied pipers: keep out, you have no jobs here in Alberta!